Tibet closed to foreign tourists in March

BEIJING : Chinese authorities have closed the troubled Tibetan region to foreign tourists, travel agents said Monday, ahead of the third anniversary of violent anti-government riots there. "The tourism bureau will not give permission to foreigners to come to Tibet in March," an employee at the Xizang Tourist General Company in the region's capital Lhasa told AFP by phone. "They can't come to Tibet in March and as far as April is concerned we are still awaiting notification (of any rule changes)." Other agencies also told AFP that travellers from overseas would not be allowed into Tibet in March, while one firm said that permission for foreign tourists to come to the region would take at least 10 days to be approved. China routinely limits foreign travel to Tibet, requiring overseas tourists to obtain special permits -- in addition to Chinese visas -- and also travel in tou...